Red Sox Lefty To Be Out For Weeks

An oblique injury has claimed another victim this spring, as the Boston Red Sox have announced an oblique strain of the more moderately serious Grade 2 variety for left-hander Joely Rodriguez.

Joely Rodríguez has a Grade 2 oblique strain. Timetable is “whenever he’s ready,” said Cora.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 20, 2023

Manager Alex Cora, obviously frustrated, said Rodriguez's timetable for return is “whenever he’s ready.” He's likely out for a significant amount of time. 

As we know, oblique strains are notoriously frustrating injuries, taking quite some time to recover from, even those of the milder variety—which this one does not sound like. 

The 31-year-old Dominican reliever signed a one-year, $2M deal with the Red Sox this offseason, with a club option for 2024. Boston will be his 5th team in the majors going into his 6th season. 

In 2022 with the New York Mets, Rodriguez pitched to a 4.47 ERA out of the 'pen, with a 1.35 WHIP and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Over five years, he has a 4.56 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP, with one strikeout per inning. 

This leaves Richard Bleier as the only lefty on the BoSox' 40-man roster. 

Photo: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports